New Fe-immobilized natural bentonite plate used as photo-Fenton catalyst for organic pollutant degradation

Novel photo-Fenton catalysts were prepared by immobilizing iron species on commercial bentonite plates via two methods: (1) ion exchange reaction (Fe³⁺ vs. Na⁺) by aqueous suspension powder-clay/FeCl₃ followed by plate preparation, and (2) forced hydrolysis of Fe(NO₃)₃ onto a prefabricated clay plate. The last method led to a more photo-active Fe-oxide/bentonite plate. This material allowed, at a non-adjusted initial pH of 5.5 and in the presence of H₂O₂, the total degradation of resorcinol and 55% mineralization in 80 and 100 min of irradiation, respectively. The reached degradation percentages were correlated to the presence of dissolved iron, demonstrating that in these processes, the homogeneous photo-Fenton reactions were mainly responsible for the resorcinol elimination.Likewise, in slurry system, where clay has normally an increased surface area, there was no increase in activity because of a reduced leached iron probably due to the diminished light penetration in the suspension. Despite the lower surface area, in comparison to that of the slurry, the clay plates have the advantage, as heterogeneous photo-catalysts, that separation of the reaction media after treatment is not needed, and thus, a potential use for batch and continuous reaction systems is proposed.     

Defining Chlorophyll-a Reference Conditions in European Lakes

The concept of “reference conditions” describes the benchmark against which current conditions are compared when assessing the status of water bodies. In this paper we focus on the establishment of reference conditions for European lakes according to a phytoplankton biomass indicator—the concentration of chlorophyll-a. A mostly spatial approach (selection of existing lakes with no or minor human impact) was used to set the reference conditions for chlorophyll-a values, supplemented by historical data, paleolimnological investigations and modelling. The work resulted in definition of reference conditions and the boundary between “high” and “good” status for 15 main lake types and five ecoregions of Europe: Alpine, Atlantic, Central/Baltic, Mediterranean, and Northern. Additionally, empirical models were developed for estimating site-specific reference chlorophyll-a concentrations from a set of potential predictor variables. The results were recently formulated into the EU legislation, marking the first attempt in international water policy to move from chemical quality standards to ecological quality targets.